Last week, I met with the Deputy Premier of NSW, John Barilaro, to explain why our residents are so concerned with the scale of development planned for our inner west, and specifically, the lack of open and green space we’re seeing in these proposals.

One of the most common reasons residents contact me at Inner West Council is to raise concerns about a proposed development application or DA in their neighbourhood. And while I’m always happy to help, many people are surprised when I tell them that, thanks to recent changes made by the NSW Government, Councillors now have very little say over whether a DA is approved or not.